Danita Reads

When You Rescue Your Celebrity Crush

When in Rotheberg #3

By Lia Huni

I’m working on reading the entire When in Rotheberg series in order, though this book could easily be a standalone. I ended up liking this one more than book #2. In this story, we follow Matt and his celebrity crush, actress Nica. Matt as a character was a lot more fun than I was expecting, and I enjoyed how the book started with a prank on his daughter. Honestly, in the beginning I didn’t see how a romance between the two could ever work (which is basically how the characters feel too), but it all came together in a way that makes sense. I enjoyed seeing all the quirky characters we’ve met along the way in this series, and also finally meeting Matt’s daughter, Eva. I’m looking forward to continuing on to the next book in the series!

January 22, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Romance 0

When You Get Stuck with Your Famous Ex

When in Rotheberg #2

By Lia Huni

(3.5 / 5)

After 20 years, Rachel is reunited with her ex who is now a famous country music star. A lot of chaos ensues, with an unexpected road trip and pet hijinks. I didn’t like this book as much as the first one, but it still kept my interest enough. I didn’t really feel the romance until towards the end, which was probably a factor. I thought some of the situations that came up were too unbelievable and felt out of character, plus there’s some deception along the way that just didn’t sit right with me. Suspending some reality though, this book certainly didn’t have a dull moment!

When You Bake with the Enemy

When in Rotheberg Book 1

By Lia Huni

(4 / 5)

When You Bake with the Enemy is the first book in the When in Rotheberg series, which brings us to a small Bavarian-inspired town in Oregon. This story follows Jamie, a math teacher who is new to the town and unexpectedly finds out she also has to teach a baking class. When she encounters Dylan, a local who is hoping to build a test kitchen in the spot where the baking class takes place, sparks fly.

I thought this was a really cute story. In the beginning I was a little overwhelmed with all the characters we were meeting, but since Jamie was new to town, it also felt like a good reflection about how she must feel. Plus, I can already see how it sets up for the series to easily expand into multiple books. The story alternates POVs between Jamie and Dylan, which I think helped me like both characters because I could see the situation from both sides. Dylan definitely had moments where his actions could be frustrating, but it was hard to stay mad at him for long. In the end, there was nothing particularly surprising about this story, but it was a fun escape and kept me interested the whole time. I’m looking forward to continuing the series!

January 17, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Book Lovers

By Emily Henry

(5 / 5)

I enjoyed reading this book so much. The witty banter and comebacks between Nora and Charlie had me literally laughing out loud more than I have while reading a book in a long time. The characters had a lot of depth, with their first impressions barely scratching the surface. This book faces some heavy topics at times, but I enjoyed the growth of the characters and relationships with each other. As a book lover, I enjoyed the glimpses into the book publishing world, plus the quips about small town romance tropes when this was indeed a small town romance itself. My only regret is that it took me so long to finally get around to reading this book!

January 15, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Hardcover Romance 0

The Paris Chapter

By Victoria Walters

Coming January 19, 2025

(3 / 5)

In The Paris Chapter, we follow a romance author who has been struggling to write her next book after a bad break-up. She decides to still go on the vacation to Paris they had planned together, only to find her ex’s best friend is also staying in the one bedroom apartment.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I liked the Paris setting and visiting some of the sights the city had to offer. Both of the main characters lacked some self-confidence, but I thought their imperfections helped make them more realistic and relatable. There was even some spice along the way. But at times the book felt a bit too repetitive, especially with all the comparisons to the ex, who was quite toxic. I think what really lost me was the 3rd act drama and how oblivious the main characters seemed to be about what was going on. I was happy enough with how everything resolved, but I think I’d lost my connection with the characters by that point.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Paris Chapter! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

January 13, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

His Mortal Demise

The Last Bloodcarver #2

By Vanessa Le

Coming March 18, 2025

(5 / 5)

His Mortal Demise is the 2nd book in The Last Bloodcarver duology, and you definitely want to read these books in order. I’ll apologize in advance that my review will be a bit on the vague side, but I want to avoid spoilers for those who haven’t read the first book yet.

This book follows the perspectives of two different characters in different points in time. From the start we know that something miraculous has happened, and while one character tries to figure out what happened, we follow the other character through the months leading up to it. This all gave the story a mysterious feel, and it sometimes took directions that I wasn’t expecting at all. I’m not going to lie, there could be a very dark feel to this story at times, with grief, war, sacrifice, and questioning morals along the way. But there was also substantial character growth that was beautiful to watch. I’m glad that we were able to see many of the characters from the first book again and explore even more of this interesting fictional world. The last chunk of the book was especially packed with action and almost had a cinematic feel to it. And let’s not forget the absolute rollercoaster of emotions I experienced along the way. I thoroughly enjoyed both books in this duology, and I look forward to seeing more from author Vanessa Le in the future.

Thank you to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, Roaring Brook Press, and NetGalley for the free review copy of His Mortal Demise! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 11, 2025 by danimae1981 Fantasy Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

The Secret Lives of Candy Hearts

By Tommy Siegel

Published today!

(4.5 / 5)

I was already somewhat familiar with Tommy Siegel and his Candy Hearts comics, so I was excited to check out this new collection. I enjoyed reading the book, and it was a nice pick-me-up that had me literally laughing out loud at times. The statements are so blunt yet relatable, like seeing into what someone really thinks. I thought the pop-culture references were a nice touch. The art is colorful and portrays each situation well. I liked it as much as I hoped I would! Note: there are some f-bombs sprinkled in, so if you find that offensive, this might not be the book for you.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Secret Lives of Candy Hearts! Opinions in my review are completely my own.

January 7, 2025 by danimae1981 Comics eBook 0

The Break-Up Pact

By Emma Lord

(3.5 / 5)

June and Levi were close childhood friends who have had minimal contact for the past 10 years. Each has been in a long-term relationship that recently ended, quite publicly. When a photo starts circulating of the two of them, assuming they are dating each other, they decide to “fake date” to help draw business to June’s tea shop and make Levi’s fiancé jealous.

The Break-Up Pact was set in a small, tight-knit beach town where everyone seems to know each other. We follow several things that are going on beyond the main storyline… June’s tea shop struggling, Levi writing a book, June’s brother is getting married, and June’s friend Sana is trying to write an article worthy of being in a big magazine. There’s a bit of a sad undertone to the story due to June’s sister (and Levi’s friend) Annie passing away two years ago, and I think both characters are still processing the grief of her being gone. The main characters were overall likeable, though sometimes I found it a little frustrating how much June tended to push Levi away. Both characters have been living in situations that are more to fulfill the dreams of other people instead of themselves, so there was some good character development as June and Levi figured out what they actually wanted for themselves.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin and NetGalley for the free review copy of The Break-Up Pact! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0

Heir, Apparently

By Kara McDowell

(5 / 5)

I absolutely loved The Prince and the Apocalypse, so when I saw there was going to be a sequel, I knew I had to read it. And holy cow, it did not disappoint. I devoured the book in a single day, which is not something that I usually do, but I just couldn’t put it down. I loved Wren and Theo as characters, with all the tension and banter between them that I loved from the last book coming back again. I wasn’t sure if it would be possible, but Heir, Apparently carried that same rollercoaster of emotions amidst tragedy, adventure, drama and romance. It was fun to meet some new characters along the way, giving the story a fresh dynamic. This duology of books was really well done, and I’d love to read them again!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of Heir, Apparently! All opinions expressed in my review are completely my own.

January 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Young Adult 0

If the Ring Fits

By Camilla Isley

Coming January 25, 2025

(3.5 / 5)

When Rowena finds out she’s pregnant and lost her job in the same day, a chance encounter with a multi-millionaire who’s trying to impress his boss leads to an agreement that could benefit both of them… by getting married. If the Ring Fits is the 2nd book in Isley’s Funny Feelings series, though it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Fans of Isley’s may recognize a few familiar characters from her True Love series as well!

If the Ring Fits was a quick, light read that kept my interest well enough. Sometimes situations seemed a bit too convenient to be truly believable, but it’s all explained in a way that makes sense. I enjoyed the moments of playful banter between the main characters, and overall found both of them to be likable. As a former software engineer, I liked seeing the representation of a woman in STEM.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the free review copy of If the Ring Fits! All opinions in my review are completely my own.

January 5, 2025 by danimae1981 Fiction Kindle Romance 0